Previous attempts to produce low calorie foodstuff or beverage compositions have involved the use of artificial sweeteners such as the saccharins and the cyclamates. Problems have arisen with the use of these compounds, however, since saccharins leave a bitter aftertaste and cyclamates are now excluded from commercial food products as health hazards.
It has recently been found that certain dipeptide compounds possess a high level of sweetness. Examples of these compounds are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,475,403; 3,492,131; and 3,799,918. Most suitable among these compounds are Aspartame and certain other lower alkyl esters of aspartylphenylalanine.
These dipeptide compounds would appear to have great commercial application as sweeteners since they have up to 200 times the sweetness level of sucrose, have no detectable unpleasant aftertaste, are non-nutritive and can be produced from natural amino acids. Problems have arisen, however, with the use of these compounds in that their rate of solution into water is markedly slower than sucrose. Moreover, they tend to decompose, losing substantially all their sweetness, if subjected to elevated temperatures for extended periods. Also, they have a tendency to decompose when used in combination with certain other materials, particularly acidic materials in liquid beverage systems.
It has recently been disclosed that dipeptide sweeteners are useful sweeteners for foods and beverages. Examples of these applications are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,800,046, 3,642,491, and 3,798,204. Dry powdered beverage concentrates based upon dipetide sweeteners admixed with dry flavorants have been disclosed in these references. Co-dried mixtures of dipeptide sweetener and edible bulking agent such as organic acids, starches or sugars as table-sugar substitutes have also been described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,761,288.
While certain of the desired sweetening properties of the dipeptides have been reported, the tendency of these materials to be only difficultly soluble or to undergo degradation upon subjection to elevated temperatures has presented a real limitation on the provision of a diet beverage composition in substantially dry form capable of being readily dissolved in water to provide a flavorful low-calorie beverage.